Baada ya kifo cha Mtume ﷺ, Waislamu walimchagua Abu Bakr (ra) kuwa Khalifa. Moja ya mambo ya kwanza aliyokabiliana nayo ni mkanganyiko kuhusu Fatimah Umm Hasan (ra), binti ya Mtume ﷺ, kurithi kipande cha ardhi ambacho Mtume ﷺ alikuwa anamiliki. Abu Bakr (ra) alinukuu Hadithi ifuatayo, ambayo ilitatua suala hilo.

After the death of the Prophet (saw), the Muslims selected Abu Bakr (ra) as the Khaleefah. One of the first issues he faced was confusion on the part of Fatimah Umm Hasan (ra), daughter of the Prophet (saw), inheriting a piece of land, which the Prophet (saw) owned. Abu Bakr (ra) quoted the following Hadith, which resolved the matter.

"Sisi (wa Nabii ﷺ) hatuachi mali kama urithi. Kila tunachokiacha ni sadaka." (Bukhari na Muslim).

“We (Prophet‟s) do not leave things for inheritance. Whatever we leave is charity.” (Bukhari & Muslim).

Kisha alipendekeza kwa Abu Bakr (ra), amruhusu asimamie mali hiyo na kuigawa kama Mtume ﷺ alivyokuwa akifanya. Abu Bakr (ra) alikataa akisema, "Sitaacha kufanya chochote ambacho Mjumbe ﷺ alikuwa akikifanya." (Bukhari)

She then suggested to Abu Bakr (ra), letting her supervise the property and to distribute it the way the Prophet (saw) used to do. Abu Bakr (ra) refused saying, “I am not going to quit doing anything the Messenger (saw) used to do.” (Bukhari)

Katika riwaya nyingine, Abu Bakr (ra) alisema, "Mimi ndiye nasimamia mambo baada ya Mtume ﷺ." Hivyo Abu Bakr (ra) alimwonyesha Fatimah Umm Hasan (ra) kwamba, kama angempa yeye mamlaka hayo, basi kuna faida gani ya kuwa na Khalifa? Zaidi ya hayo, haikuwa juu yake yeye kutenda kwa niaba ya Khalifa.

In another narration, Abu Bakr (ra) said, “I am in charge after the Messenger (saw).” Thus Abu Bakr (ra) pointed out to Fatimah Umm Hasan (ra) that if he (ra) gave her this authority then what is the point of having a Khaleefah. Moreover, it was not up to her to act on behalf of the Khaleefah.

Wakati huo Abu Bakr (ra) aliwakusanya Masahaba (ra) na kuwauliza: "Mko wapi? Kwa nini mnaniacha?" (Abu Bakr (ra) alikuwa akiwarejelea Masahaba (ra) waliokuwa wakiondoka kwenda katika ardhi mpya zilizokombolewa). "Kama mnataka mimi niwe Khalifa, hamuwezi tu kunichagua kisha mkaondoka." Basi Abu Bakr (ra) alimbakiza kundi hili la Masahaba (ra) pamoja naye (ra).

At that time Abu Bakr (ra) gathered the Sahabah (ra) and asked them, where are you? Why are you leaving me? (Abu Bakr (ra) was referring to the Sahabah (ra) leaving for the newly liberated lands). If you want me to be the Khaleefah you cannot just appoint me and depart. Thus, Abu Bakr (ra) maintained this group of Sahabah (ra) with him (ra).

Katika zama hizi, baada ya kifo cha Mtume ﷺ, Maswahaba (ra) walianza kufanya Ijtihadi kwa matatizo yaliyojitokeza ambayo hayakuelezwa waziwazi katika Qur'an na Sunnah. Maswahaba (ra) waliikusanya Qur'an, na wengi wao walikwisha kuihifadhi Qur'an yote moyoni. Aya za Qur'an pia ziliandikwa juu ya mawe, magome ya miti, au vipande vya ngozi, na zilitawanyika miongoni mwa Maswahaba (ra) kwa ujumla.

During this era, with the death of the Prophet (saw), the Sahabah (ra) began performing Ijtihad for problems that arose which were not explicitly expressed in the Qur‟an and Sunnah. The Sahabah (ra) compiled the Qur‟an, and many of them had already committed the whole Qur‟an to memory. The Ayah of the Qur‟an was also written on stones, tree barks, or pieces of leather, and were scattered amongst the Sahabah (ra) in general.

Zaidi ya hayo, Hadith nyingi hazikuandikwa; badala yake zilihifadhiwa kwa kukaririwa. Hakuna mtu mmoja aliyekuwa amehifadhi Sunnah yote kama walivyokuwa wamehifadhi Qur'an yote. Hata hivyo, Qur'an na Sunnah kwa pamoja zilitumika kama marejeo ya kutatua matatizo ambayo Maswahaba (ra) kwa ujumla walikabiliana nayo. Baada ya muda, waligundua kwamba si kila mtu alikuwa na uwezo wa kuelewa Uislamu, hivyo wakaanzisha mpango wa kuwafundisha Waislamu wale ambao hawakuwa na uwezo huo.

Additionally, most of the Hadith were not documented; rather they had been committed to memory. No one single person had memorised the entire Sunnah as they had memorised the entire Qur‟an. Nonetheless, the Qur‟an the Sunnah together served as the reference point for the solutions to the problems that the Sahabah (ra) faced as a whole. After a while they found that not every single person was capable of understanding Islam, and so they began a program of educating those Muslims who were incapable.

Wakati wa kifo cha Mtume ﷺ, Maswahaba (ra) walikuwa maelfu, lakini ni karibu saba hadi kumi tu kati yao waliotoa Fatwa zaidi ya wengine, na walichukuliwa kuwa Mafaqihi wa kivitendo, yaani watu waliokuwa na uwezo wa kutoa hukumu ya Kiislamu katika matatizo ya kivitendo ya kila siku. Katika kundi hili walikuwamo Umar, Ali, Ibn Umar, Ibn Abbas, Ibn Mas‟ood, Zayd bin Thabit, na Aisha bint Abu Bakr (ra). Katika juhudi zao za kubainisha hukmu za Shar‟i kwa matatizo mbalimbali, Maswahaba (ra) walifuata Qur'an na Sunnah; hata hivyo, bado walifikia maoni tofauti na yanayotofautiana.

At the time of the death of the Prophet (saw), the Sahabah (ra) numbered in the thousands, however only about seven to ten of them used to give Fatwa more than the others, and were considered practical Fuqahaa, or people who were able to give the Islamic rule in practical, day to day problems. Included in this group were Umar, Ali, Ibn Umar, Ibn Abbas, Ibn Mas‟ood, Zayd bin Thabit, and Aisha bint Abu Bakr (ra). In their endeavour to determine the Hukm Shar‟i rules for problems, the Sahabah (ra) adhered to the Qur‟an and Sunnah; however, they still arrived at varying and different opinions.

Kwa mfano, katika suala la talaka, Abu Bakr (ra) na Umar bin Al-Khattab (ra) walikuwa na maoni tofauti. Umar (ra) alikuwa na maoni kwamba iwapo mwanamume atamwambia mke wake "nimekutaliki" mara tatu katika kikao kimoja, basi mwanamume huyo atakuwa amemtaliki mara tatu, na hataweza kumwoa tena mwanamke huyo mpaka aolewe na kuachwa talaka na mwanamume mwingine. Wakati Abu Bakr (ra) alikuwa na maoni kwamba hili litasababisha talaka moja tu.

For example, in the issue of divorce, Abu Bakr (ra) and Umar bin Al-Khattab (ra) had different opinions. Umar (ra) was of the opinion that if a man says to his wife “I have divorced you” three times in one sitting, then the man would have divorced her three times and could not remarry the woman until she married and was divorced by someone else. While Abu Bakr (ra) was of the opinion that this would result in only one divorce.

Katika mfano mwingine, Abu Bakr (ra) alikuwa akigawa nyara za vita kwa usawa miongoni mwa Masahaba (ra). Umar (ra) alipokuwa Khalifa, hakuwapa wale waliosilimu hivi karibuni na waliopigana dhidi ya Mtume ﷺ katika vita vya mwanzo, kama Khalid bin Al-Walid (ra), kiasi sawa na alichowapa wale waliokuwa pamoja na Mtume ﷺ katika vita hivyo vya awali.

In another example, Abu Bakr (ra) used to distribute the spoils of war equally amongst the Sahabah (ra). When Umar (ra) became the Khaleefah, he did not give those who became Muslim recently and who had fought against the Prophet (saw) in the early wars, like Khalid bin Al-Walid (ra), as much as he gave to those who had accompanied the Prophet (saw) in those earlier wars.

Tofauti zilizokuwepo miongoni mwa Maswahaba (ra) hazikuwa zimezuiliwa tu kwenye maelezo ya Hukm Shar‟i, bali pia walikuwa na tofauti katika baadhi ya matawi ya „Aqeedah.

The differences amongst the Sahabah (ra) were not only limited to the details of the Hukm Shar‟i, they also had differences in certain branches of the „Aqeedah.

Hata hivyo, tofauti hizi za kimaoni zinaweza kuwepo katika matawi ya ʿAqīdah, hasa kutokana na muundo wa lugha ya Kiarabu. Ilhali, katika msingi wa ʿAqīdah kuna uelewa mmoja tu sahihi. Kwa mfano, katika suala linalohusiana na ʿAqīdah kuna tofauti ya maoni kuhusu Isra', Allah (SWT) anasema: "Utakatifu ni wa Yule aliyemchukua mja wake usiku (Isra) kutoka Msikiti wa Al-Haram hadi Msikiti wa Al-Aqsaa..." (TMQ al-Isra: 1)

However, these differences of opinions may exist in the branches of the „Aqeedah, mainly due to linguistic structure of the Arabic language. Whereas, in the core of the „Aqeedah there is only one correct understanding. For example, in an issue related to the „Aqeedah there is a difference of opinion regarding Isra‟, Allah (swt) says; “Glory be to He who took his „Abd on the Night Journey (Isra) from Masjid Al- Haram to Masjid Al-Aqsaa...” (TMQ al-Isra: 1)

Wengi wa Maswahaba (ra) walikuwa na maoni kwamba mwili wa kimwili wa Mtume ﷺ ulifanya safari ya usiku, yaani Isra. Aisha bint Abu Bakr (ra) alikuwa na maoni kwamba mwili wa kimwili wa Mtume ﷺ haukufanya safari hiyo, na kwamba roho yake tu ndiyo ilifanya safari hiyo. Hoja ya Aisha bint Abu Bakr (ra) ilikuwa kwamba Mtume ﷺ hakukosekana, na hakuna aliyekumbuka kwamba mwili wake uliondoka.

Most of the Sahabah (ra) were of the opinion that the physical body of the Prophet (saw) made the night journey or the Isra. Aisha bint Abu Bakr (ra) was of the opinion that the physical body of the Prophet (saw) did not make the journey and that only his (saw) soul made it. Aisha bint Abu Bakr‟s (ra) justification was that he (saw) was not missed and no one remembers his (saw) body leaving.

Mfano mwingine ni pale ambapo Aisha bint Abu Bakr (ra) alipoambiwa na Sahaba mmoja (ra) kwamba marehemu ataadhibiwa kwa sababu ya kulia kwa kuomboleza na kwa sauti kubwa, kinachofanywa na familia yake. Aisha bint Abu Bakr (ra) alikataa madai haya kwa sababu alielewa kwamba yanapingana na Aya inayosema:

Another example is where Aisha bint Abu Bakr (ra) was told by a Sahabi (ra) that the deceased person would be punished because of the wailing and loud crying, performed by his family. Aisha bint Abu Bakr (ra) rejected this claim because she understood that it contradicted the Ayah that says:

"Hakuna nafsi itakayobeba mzigo wa nafsi nyingine..." (TMQ Al-Isra: 15)

“No-one will bear the burden of another...” (TMQ Al-Isra: 15)

Imamu Baghawi katika kitabu chake “Taa za Sunnah” alisema kwamba Abu Bakr (ra) alikuwa akiangalia Kitabu cha Allah (swt) ili kutatua matatizo yake. Asipopata suluhisho humo, alikuwa akiwauliza baadhi ya Mafaqihi miongoni mwa Masahaba (ra) kwa ijtihadi yao katika suala husika. Imamu Baghawi anaendelea kusema kwamba Umar (ra) alikuwa akiwashauri Masahaba (ra) ingawa yeye mwenyewe alikuwa Faqihi maarufu.

Imam Baghawi in his book “The Lights of the Sunnah” remarked that Abu Bakr (ra) used to look to the Book of Allah (swt) to solve his problems. If he couldn‟t find a solution there, he would ask some of the Fuqahaa among the Sahabah (ra) for their Ijtihad in the particular issue. Imam Baghawi goes on to say that Umar (ra) used to consult the Sahabah (ra) even though he was himself a well-known Faqih.

Ingawa Maswahaba (ra) walitofautiana, tofauti yao ilikuwa ndani kabisa ya mipaka ya kuelewa maandiko, na hili lilichukuliwa kuwa jambo la kawaida. Imam Muhammad Abu Zahrah, alipokuwa akijadili zama za Maswahaba (ra), alisema kwamba ni muhimu kuondoa dhana potofu mbili.

Even though the Sahabah (ra) disagreed, their disagreement was well within the guideline of understanding the text and this was considered normal. Imam Muhammad Abu Zahrah, while discussing the era of the Sahabah (ra), said that it is important to remove two misconceptions.

A. Kwanza, baadhi ya watu wamesema kwamba Maswahaba (ra) walikuwa wakipuuza Hadith sahihi na kufanya maamuzi yao kwa kutegemea akili zao au mawazo yao wenyewe. Imam Zahrah alisema kwamba inapaswa kueleweka kwamba hakuna hata mmoja wa Maswahaba (ra) aliyeacha maandiko kwa ajili ya maoni yake binafsi; badala yake, maoni yao yalitegemea na kuongozwa kikamilifu na maandiko. Anatoa mfano kutoka kwa Khalifa Umar bin Al Khattab (ra), alipochelewesha kukatwa mkono wa mwizi. Baadhi ya watu hutumia tukio hili kama mfano kwamba Umar (ra) alifanya hivyo kwa sababu ya mawazo yake pekee.

A. The first is that some people said that the Sahabah (ra) used to disregard the authentic Hadith and based their judgments on their mind or own rational thinking. Imam Zahrah said that it should be understood that none of the Sahabah (ra) left the text for their own rational opinion; rather their opinions were based and influenced entirely by the texts. He uses an example from the Khaleefah Umar bin Al Khattab (ra), when he delayed cutting off the hand of the thief. Some people use this instance as an example that Umar (ra) did this solely due to his own thinking.

Dai hii si sahihi, kwa sababu kuna Hadith aliyoipokea Ali (ra) ambapo Mtume ﷺ alisema: "Msitekeleze Hudud katika kesi zenye shaka". Pia kuna Hadith nyingine iliyopokelewa kutoka kwa Makhul (ra) ambamo Mtume ﷺ alisema:

This claim is incorrect, since there is a Hadith narrated by Ali (ra) where the Prophet (saw) said: “Don‟t implement the Hudood in the cases of doubt”. There is also another Hadith narrated from Makhul (ra) in which the Prophet (saw) stated:

"Hakuna kukatwa mkono wakati wa njaa." Na Madina kwa kweli ilikuwa inakabiliwa na njaa wakati ambapo Umar (ra) aliahirisha utekelezaji wa Hadd.

“There is no cutting in a famine”. And Madinah was in fact experiencing a famine at the instance when Umar (ra) postponed implementing the Hadd.

B. Baadhi ya watu wamejaribu kuwagawanya Maswahaba (ra) katika makundi mawili: wale waliofuata kwa ukali Hadithi (Ahlul-Hadith), na wale ambao hawakufuata matini, wanaoitwa Ahlu-Ra'y. Wao wanadai kwamba kundi la kwanza lilifanya hivyo kwa sababu lilikuwa la Wanamapokeo wa kawaida (Classical Traditionalists), wakati kundi la pili lilikuwa la Wanamageuzi (Revivalists).

B. Some tried to classify the Sahabah (ra) into two groups: Those who adhered strictly to the traditions (Ahlel-Hadith), and those who did not adhere to texts, called Ahlel-Ra‟ee. They claim that the first group did this because they were Classical Traditionalists, while the second group was Revivalists.

Madai hii si sahihi, kwa sababu Ahlel-Hadith na Ahlel-Ra'ee wote walishikamana na matini. Imam Zahrah alitoa mfano ambao wao hutumia, kuhusu wanyama waliopotea katika Dola. Mtume ﷺ alisema waachwe, nao watamfikia mwenyewe. Lakini Umar (ra) alitenda kinyume katika jambo hili. Alawaweka mahali pamoja na kumruhusu mwenye mnyama ayatambue na kuyachukua.

This claim is incorrect, since both Ahlel-Hadith and Ahlel-Ra‟ee adhered to the text. Imam Zahrah cited the example, which they use, regarding the stray animals in the State. The Prophet (saw) said to leave them and they will reach their owner. But Umar (ra) acted differently in this regard. He put them in one place and allowed the owner to identify them and take them.

Inapaswa kuwa wazi kwamba kitendo cha Umar kilikuwa sambamba na cha Mtume ﷺ, kwa kuwa lengo lilikuwa kuwawezesha wanyama waliopotea kumfikia mmiliki wao. Mbinu au njia ya Mtume ﷺ katika kutatua tatizo ilikuwa kuwaruhusu wanyama hao kuzurura.

It should be clear that Umar‟s action was in line with the Prophet‟s (saw), in that the objective was to allow the wandering animals to reach their owner. The Prophet‟s (saw) style or means in solving the problem was to allow the animals to wander.

Lakini wakati wa Umar (ra), dola ilipokuwa imepanuka hadi maeneo ya Sham na Afrika Kaskazini, mbinu ya kuwaweka wanyama katika sehemu moja ilitumiwa kutatua tatizo lile lile la kuwarudisha wanyama waliopotea kwa wamiliki wao, na hakuna mgongano hapa. Basi alichokifanya Umar (ra) kilikuwa sehemu ya wajibu wake, ambao unahitaji kupitisha baadhi ya taratibu za kiutawala. Maamuzi haya ya kiutawala yanaweza kubadilishwa.

However, during Umar‟s (ra) time, when the State had expanded to the areas of Sham and North Africa, the tactic of putting the animals in one location was used to solve the same problem of returning the stray animals to their owners, and there is no conflict. So what Umar (ra) did was part of his responsibility, which requires adopting some administrative procedures. These administrative decisions can be changed.

Inapaswa kueleweka kwamba kuna tofauti kati ya amri ya kiutawala na amri ya kisheria. Kumwamuru mtu aswali Swalah yake pale anapokosea ni amri ya kisheria, ilhali kufunga ngamia aliyepotea ni amri ya kiutawala.

It should be understood that there is a difference between an administrative order and a legislative order. Ordering a person to do his Salah if he made a mistake is a legal order, while tying up a wandering camel is an administrative order.

Wakati mwingine maandishi haya yanaweza kueleweka kwa njia tofauti kutokana na muundo wa Aya, na/au muundo wa lugha ya Kiarabu. Kwa mfano, Allah (SWT) anasema:

The text sometimes could be understood in different ways due to the structure of the Ayah, and / or the structure of the Arabic language. For example, Allah (swt) says:

Mwanamke aliyeachika anapaswa kungoja kwa vipindi vitatu (Quru) (TMQ Al-Baqarah: 228)

“The divorced woman should wait for three periods (Quru)” (TMQ Al-Baqarah: 228)

Neno Quru‟ katika lugha ya Kiarabu linaweza kumaanisha wakati mwanamke anapoanza hedhi, au kipindi cha baada ya hedhi. Tofauti kati ya mizunguko mitatu inayoanza na kipindi cha usafi ni kama siku 7 hadi 15.

The word Quru‟ in the Arabic language can mean the time when the woman begins her menstruation, or the post menstruation period. The difference between three cycles beginning with the purity period is about 7 to 15 days.

Wakati mwingine Sahaba mmoja angetoa fatwa bila kuwa amesikia Hadith inayohusiana na suala hilo, ambayo Sahaba mwingine alikuwa anaijua. Hata hivyo, kesi kama hizi kwa kawaida zilitatuliwa baadaye.

Sometimes a Sahabi would issue a Fatwa without having heard of a Hadith related to that issue, and which another Sahabi knew. However, these cases were usually resolved later.

Jinsi walivyoyaangalia maandiko na mbinu ya kufasiri. Mfano mmoja unahusu urithi wa babu. Abu Bakr (ra) alisema kwamba mtu akifariki akiacha baba, ndugu, mke na watoto, uwepo wa baba, ambaye anachukuliwa kuwa babu wa watoto wa marehemu, ungezuia ndugu wengine wasirithi mali. Umar (ra) alisema kwamba angewapa ndugu na babu kiasi kilekile baada ya kujadili suala hili na Zayd bin Thabit (ra), ambaye alikuwa Sahabi mashuhuri zaidi katika fani ya urithi.

How they viewed the texts and the methodology of interpretation. An example deals with the inheritance of the grandfather. Abu Bakr (ra) said that if one dies leaving a father, brothers, a wife and children, the presence of the father, who is considered the grandfather of the deceased person‟s children, would prevent other brothers from inheriting the wealth. Umar (ra) said that he would give the brothers and the grandfather the same amount after discussing this issue with Zayd bin Thabit (ra) who was the foremost Sahabi in the area of inheritance.